The Tigers' struggles over the past fortnight does not
fill their faithful supporters with a heap of confidence going into this match
against the Bulldogs on Friday night at Allianz Stadium. But all is not lost
for the boys in black and gold. The injury to Tim Moltzen against the Knights
in round 16 turned the tables on what was an impressive 14-0 lead in that match
and the Tigers defence never recovered from the ensuing positional change.
This week, there will be no excuses accepted by a rampant
Canterbury outfit coming off a huge victory against the Storm in Mackay. The
'Dogs are rolling on a 5 game winning streak, including what most punters are
saying are the two best games of the year against the Rabbitohs and Melbourne.
Des Hasler will have them ready again and the visitors win an engrossing
forward battle in your match of the round.
My tip: Canterbury 30-14
The Melbourne Storm v Canberra Raiders
Whilst horribly unlucky with injuries since that famous semi-final
against the Tigers two years ago, the Raiders still have a good look about them
on paper. Reece Robinson wrote himself into Green Machine folklore last week
with a masterful performance against the Dragons; they have a monstrous left
side attack in Blake Ferguson and Edrick Lee and the Canberra forwards can
dominate any opposition pack on their day.
This Saturday will not be their day. The clinical
approach to football adopted by the Storm will confuse the hell out of this
young Canberra squad and make Robinson forget about his hat-trick, Ferguson and
Lee look like midgets and leave the visitors forwards in a squirming,
squealing, out-wrestled heap in the middle of AAMI Park. The grind proves too
much for the boys from our nation’s capital and Melbourne began their charge
towards September.
My tip: Melbourne 26-6
Gold Coast Titans v New Zealand Warriors
With the representative season behind us and an 8 week
'mini-season' ahead of us, it’s matches like this that have a sense of
desperation to them. The pressure of job security hits coaches like John Cartwright
and Brian McClennan with their respective teams on the cusp of the 8 and
premiership points as vital as they've ever been. You won't hear anyone using
the phrase, “it’s still early in the season" to excuse poor performance.
So, who thrives under this pressure? The Gold Coast
Titans, that’s who. This club has come a long way since their wooden spoon of
last year and a forgettable start to this year. They won't want relinquish this
momentum on Saturday night at Skilled Park. Some magnificent talent within the
Warriors camp but the experience of Scott Prince and the Titans forwards will
get them home in a cracker.
My tip: Gold Coast 22-20
South Sydney Rabbitohs v Newcastle Knights
The Knights forwards seem to have finally found their
front foot and with two consecutive victories under the belt, will be confident
of winning the battle of the bigs again this Sunday afternoon against the
Bunnies at ANZ. Joel Edwards has provided the mongrel while Danny Buderus is
finding some old form after struggling with injury. Unfortunately for Knights
fans, they are up against a team on the rise and a forward pack with big names
returning.
The Brothers Burgess, Issac Luke and a great leader in Mick
Crocker will control this match from the opening and the Knights attack won't
find the going easy. Add to this a motivated Dave Taylor who once again, will thrive
on the incessant insults thrown at him by pay TV commentator Gorden Tallis and will
flip the proverbial finger to his opposition. Souths win their 6th consecutive
home game and take one step closer to a birth in the finals.
My tip: South Sydney 24-14
Manly Sea Eagles v Parramatta Eels
Sunday afternoon at Brookvale Oval where the Eagles are 4
from 6 on the season and could have their starting forward pack healthy and
available for only the third time this season. Danger signs for the struggling
Eels if their defence is not at its very best. Even though the past 5
encounters between these teams have been decided by single figures, the Eagles
are on a different level and if the track is in good condition, will prove as
much.
So, for Parramatta fans, we start the Nathan Hindmarsh
farewell tour as he visits Brooky for the last time. Hindmarsh will give
everything he can, as always, but this match will prove a big test for those
who would lead the Eels when Hindy is gone. If the likes of Sandow, Keating and
Tim Mannah are not up to the challenge, they will be found out in tough
environments like the insular peninsula. Manly by a few.
My tip: Manly 32-12
Cronulla Sharks v Sydney Roosters
Monday Night Football from the Shire. The visiting
Roosters have 1 win from their past six matches and if you like it by the
numbers then read on. 30, 40, 28, 52.... Not lotto numbers, nor are they Frank
Paul Nuuausala's measurements. This is the Roosters defensive form line over
the past 4 weeks and believe it or not, I know how to navigate the
Leagueunlimited website for more than just an attack on the Bondi clubs' for
and against.
The Roosters fan forum is blowing up. Words like
"atrocious", "dumb" and even the dreaded
"impotent" made an appearance this week and not just to describe a
certain kiwi rugby player. No doubt this legion of angry fans and budding
wordsmiths will make the trek to Toyota Stadium to support the Tri-Colours but this
road trip will be a tough one as the Sharks prove how worthy they are of 3rd
position on the ladder.
My tip: Cronulla 26-12
for live updates throughout the weekend, go to http://www.leagueunlimited.com/index.php
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